Sir, – I was extremely disappointed to read Dr Dave Flynn's letter (October 27th), and his opinions on opera funding.
It is easy to assume that opera is well-funded because Wexford Festival Opera (WFO) receives €1.4 million. However, it is estimated 40 per cent of WFO patrons are from overseas and the overall benefit to Wexford and the southeast is estimated at more than €25 million. And WFO pays back about €1.1 million to the exchequer in taxes from its employees.
WFO’s speciality is in lesser-known works. We need a facility for audiences to hear more mainstream works, based in Dublin – a company that has a home. Take away WFO’s award and opera was only given €784,500 in 2016.
In 2016, the traditional arts were awarded a total of €1,621,838. That was made up of 62 awards across 10 categories. Opera received no annual funding.
While I fully sympathise with Dr Flynn and the lack of funding for the Irish Memory Orchestra, it upsets me that another art practitioner would express this view [that Wexford Opera is well-funded so others are not].
After all, many of the musicians who play with the Irish Memory Orchestra also play with WFO, Opera Theatre Company and Cork Operatic Society. Opera employs artists across all disciplines including lighting, design and stage management so the potential for job creation is very high.
I feel that this opinion from Dr Flynn is not meant as a direct criticism of opera but is just an example of how the Arts Council and its process of funding has made arts practitioners fight tooth and nail to have the opportunity to produce work, even if it means putting down other art forms.
That, quite simply, is not good enough.
– Yours, etc,
AOIFE O’CONNELL
(Soprano),
Leeds, UK.